Journey to the Past
by Kael-bail
Summary: Rin and Yukio discover an old album, with countless photos of Mephisto and thier father. they want to know why, and it's up to Mephisto to tell them. Rated for Language.
1. Chapter 1

Rin Okumura huffed loudly, heaving a large box into the room and dropping it next to his twin. "This is the last one," he murmured. At least, he HOPED it was the last one. The twins had come back to the abbey they grew up in for a visit, to finally go through their father's belongings; What could be tossed, what could be saved, and what could go to charity. That's what he would have wanted, they figured.

However, the twins had now gone through five boxes, and frankly, the only salvageable things they had found were a few old exorcist coats Yukio could use, some ammunition, and an old notebook filled with tips and tricks on fighting demons. Yukio let out a soft sigh as he shut the box, before turning to his left to fold a jacket he had pulled out. "I'm rather disappointed," he admitted. "I had hoped father would have more things of value."

Rin tried not to snort in amusement as he sat down roughly, cutting the final box open with a knife. "I'm not surprised. He was a pack-rat." His tone was filled with fond memories of the old man. He pulled the box open roughly, showering the twins in dust and dirt. They coughed frantically, waving the dust away as fast as they could.

Yukio adjusted his glasses, before peering into the box curiously. "what's all this?" he muttered, his voice hoarse with a few more coughs. "And why was it hidden away to the point of dust collecting?"

Rin coughed softly, before digging into the box with both hands. "Let's find out!" Slowly, he pulled up a pile of frames; a few of them had been broken, as glass shards slid against Rin's hands and into the box again. He blew on the dust covered frame on top, careful to blow away from Yukio's face as the cloud erupted. He felt his twin lean against him, trying to get a better look.

The picture was definitely old, as the man in the picture was definitely a Shirou Fujimoto twenty to thirty years younger than they remembered. His hair was no longer grey, but a shade of blond. His glasses were still there, though for once, perched on top of his head as he grinned the familiar, shit-eating grin they had grown up with. The wrinkles they remembered to show his age had vanished, giving him an attractive and youthful appearance. He was wearing the uniform they had become familiar with, and was surrounded by about ten others, all in the same uniform: True Cross Academy.

"He was a student," Yukio whispered softly. "I had completely forgotten." Rin nodded in acknowledgment. They had both known that their father had gone to True Cross Academy, but somehow, in everything that had happened, it seemed to have slipped their minds.

Rin, almost hesitantly, set the frame aside, moving to the next picture; and eighteen-year-old Shirou, grinning brightly in front of the abbey. Next, Twenty-one-year-old Shirou, drunk and happy with friends all around. Picture after picture, showing them the life their father had before them.

"Now I can't help but wonder what kind of life we intercepted," Yukio muttered with a soft laugh. He reached into the box quietly, pulling out what looked to be an old photo album. His hand caressed the soft leather, cracked with age, and his fingers traced over their father's name for a moment. He brushed away a few spider webs, and the remaining dust as well, blowing gently.

Rin, who had set aside the picture frames, sat cross-legged next to his twin, leaning over slightly. "He always said we were his little blessings…" While Rin had never been much of a believer in the idea, he had always humored the man in not saying anything. Now, knowing who he was, he hated the phrase even more. He cleared his throat, shaking his head a bit. "What're you waiting for? Open it."

The younger of the two paused for a moment, before slowly opening the cover. The binding crackled with age. "I feel like we're trespassing…" he muttered softly, almost as if he thought they were going to get caught. He moved an old piece of what seemed to be butcher paper, before coming face-to-face with more images of Shirou's past. Most seemed to be candid shots, as Yukio flipped through the pages, and only a fair few contained Shirou himself. The brothers flipped through page after page of photos, until they came across something familiar. "Is that…?" Yukio asked, pointing at a picture.

"Sure looks like it…" Rin muttered in reply, taking the old album and holding it close, straining his eyes for a better look. There was Shirou, holding two bundles, one in each arm. He was smiling proudly at the camera, and in the background was someone familiar. A man, with soft violet hair, a strand coming up into a high curl; a younger child, no older than five, stood beside him, tugging at the apron on his waist; the boy's hair was a two-toned green, and spiked in the center. "It…it looks like Mephisto and Amaimon…" Almost frantically, Rin flipped to the beginning of the book, looking closely at each image. "….There he is again! …And there!"

Yukio pointed as well. "Look! There too!" He looked up at Rin curiously. "What on Earth is Mephisto doing in all these pictures? I mean…I know he and father were good friends, but…" He looked back at the album, flipping back to the picture they had discovered Mephisto in. He stared closely at the pictures that followed. Mephisto appeared in more and more of them, even occasionally seeming to have been holding or cuddling the twins. "…he knew all along…about us…and our lineage…He had to have…" Yukio continued flipping through pages, slowly stopping on a page with a rather odd, yet heart-warming picture.

Shirou was sitting on the couch, Yukio on his chest(or so it was labeled) and smiling softly. Mephisto was laying on the couch, his head on Shirou's lap, a young Amaimon clinging to him in his sleep, and an infant(Rin, by the label) tucked under his free arm. All were fast asleep.

"…I don't understand…" Yukio murmured after a moment of staring. "Why is it we don't remember him? If he was around so much when we were young, why did he suddenly disappear until we were fifteen?"

"Only one way to find out," Rin growled softly, grinning as he snatched the book and made his way out of the room, shoving it and a few pictures in his bag.

"Ah! Rin!"

* * *

><p>Mephisto Pheles had been having quite the day. Not that this day was seeming to be any different from any other day he had worked before. No, the workload was the same as always, almost making it dull. In fact, what had Sir Pheles exhausted and in dismay was the simple fact that…well…there were a few too many things on his mind. Things that shouldn't have been there in the first place.<p>

Mephisto was a demon, and a high ranking one at that. The fact that he was well over two-hundred years old made the idea of human relations, as well as memories, something that he should never have thought twice about. But, they say that hearts will always falter, no matter how hard and cold they are. Somehow, a certain human had managed to create a crack in that hard stone, and had wedged himself there, causing Mephisto to grow soft; especially in the case of Rin and Yukio. Sure, the boys were in all technicality his half siblings, and he had plenty of siblings, but…it was their father that had softened him to care enough to watch them closely.

He mused for a few moments, fingers twirling idly over the rim of his mug of tea and staring at nothing in particular, before being rudely interrupted as his office door slammed open with such a force, he needn't ask who it was. "Okumura Rin, to what displeasure do I owe you bursting into my office?" He asked calmly, his ever present smirk on his face as he picked a few wood chips from the door frame out of his tea. "I dare say, your manners, or lack thereof, precede you."

"Cut the crap," Rin half yelled, storming in while Yukio feverishly apologized behind him for the damages. "We got a bone to pick with you!" He slammed the photo album on the desk, jolting a few of the desk's items. "You have any idea what this is?"

Mephisto raised a perfectly arched brow, his hair curl seeming to twitch in curiosity. "Seems to be not but an old photo album," he replied casually, picking it up and examining it for a moment. He then froze, his bright green eyes widening just slightly as he noticed the name. He then took it in both hands, staring at the boys. "Where did you find this?" he whispered, glancing down and opening it slowly.

"In father's things," Yukio told him, waving Rin down and stepping forward. He didn't want it to be thought he himself had no manners. "We…we had a question for you, if you would be so inclined to answer it for us…"

Mephisto watched them curiously for a moment, before setting the album on the desk slowly and crossing his fingers as he clasped his hands together. "…and how can I be of service to you?"

Rin pushed forward, flipping the album to one of the many pages of pictures. "Why the hell are you in so many of our father's pictures? If you were around so much, why didn't he ever mention you? More importantly, why the hell did you leave until we needed you?" His voice rose louder and louder as he spoke. He wasn't necessarily angry; he was more confused, which made him sound angry. He didn't understand how someone who seemed to be around so much, would just leave their father with two infants, never to be heard from again. "WHY?"

Mephisto didn't answer for a long moment, watching the twins for a moment. Did he have to answer? What right did these kids have to know? _Every right_, he thought to himself, glancing down at the open album. Slowly, he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Sit down," he asked of the twins. "I have a story to tell. It's long, and whether or not it's interesting is up to your discretion." He watched as Rin and Yukio took seats in front of his desk, crowding close to listen, not unlike young children. He smiled softly, before glancing up at the ceiling. "Ah…where to begin…?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello my dear readers, and thank you for joining me in a second chapter! From this point on, until I say so, this is Mephisto's story, though told from my perspective. There will be a few OCs, but only for some of Shirou's classmates. Some things written may be based on myths, or what I have read in the Wiki or manga. Thank you for reading, and let's go on with the fic!_

* * *

><p>The differences between Gehenna and Assiah had grown into something Mephistopheles was familiar with. He had traveled between both many times in his life. Nearing the age of two-hundred, he found himself getting…well, rather bored. It seemed to constantly be 'possess this' or 'deal with that,' anything to retrieve a soul into eternal damnation.<p>

But it was to be expected, he supposed. He was the eldest son of Satan, and he had a reputation to uphold; even if his time spent in Gehenna was generally spent taking care of his younger siblings. Of course, most of his siblings were rather self reliant and didn't need his care, save for the second oldest son, who seemed to be the runt who never wanted to grow up. He sighed softly, pushing away from the window of his room, which overlooked most of Gehenna, at a familiar cry down the hall. _Someone_ was getting picked on again.

Sure enough, he found a cluster of siblings in the hall, all surrounding the second eldest, who was curled up and crying. The child may have been a demon, but he was the softest of Satan's children; he was Prince of the Earth, controlling flowers and other earthly things. And the poor child was picked on for this, despite being second oldest. Mephistopheles gave a soft sigh of sympathy, before growling low and alerting the other siblings of his presence. They quickly scattered, and he was quick to scoop the younger demon in his arms.

There was a rather large age gap between them of at least a hundred years. While Mephistopheles' host body took the shape of a young man in his late teens to early twenties-at least, if he REALLY stretched it-the demon in his arms took the host of a child of no older than five. This could have been for multiple reasons, ranging from what the child knew, to just how he refused to grow up.

"How many times have I told you to stand up for yourself?" he finally asked, holding the younger demon close as he carried him to the room they both shared. "I will not be able to defend you forever, especially if I am in Assiah." He placed the child on the bed and knelt before him. "What will you do then?"

Bright, blue-green eyes blinked at him, their owner's hand reaching up to rub one of them. "Then I'll go to Assiah with you!" the voice was small, matching the small body. "Mephi, I don' wanna stay here with them and father! I want to go to Assiah too!"

The elder sighed softly, mussing up the mop of green hair on the boy's head. "Amaimon, I've told you, you have to stay here until you are ready."

"But I am ready!" he blurted, standing on the bed and tugging at the dark sleeves of his eldest brother's shirt. "I'm plenty old enough, and I would really like to go with you when next you go!"

"Nein," Mephistopheles snapped, slipping into German for the first time in quite some time. "You are not ready. It's too dangerous, and you would give us away as to what we are. When you can hold your own against your other brothers without my guidance, then you may come to Assiah." He tried hard not to look at his younger brother, whom he knew was tearing up. This wasn't the first time they had had this conversation, and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

"It's not fair!" Amaimon whimpered, jumping off the bed and to the floor, causing a small quake around the room. "Why do you get to go?"

"I'm the oldest."

"So? I could do it!"

"Amai, I'm not having this argument with you again."

"Take me just one time! I promise to be good!"

"Nein!"

"Then I hope you die!" Amaimon gasped at his own words, eyes bigger than usual as he covered his mouth and stared up at his brother, who was looking down at him in slight shock. "I didn't….I didn't mean it…."

Mephistopheles had to try not to laugh; for once, the child was showing signs that he was, indeed, almost ready. Now if only he would stand up to his other brothers… He sent a soft smile Amaimon's way, before picking him up with ease and holding him close as huge tears began to slide down the child's face, shocked at what he said. "Nein, nein, Amai…it's alright. I know you don't mean it."

The child sniffled, tiny arms wrapping around Mephistopheles' neck. "Please take me with you," he whined. "I don't want you to go."

"Not yet," he whispered reassuringly. "In due time, you will come with me." he kissed the boy's temple, before nuzzling him affectionately. "In due time, you will see Assiah with me."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He gave the child another kiss, before setting him back down. "Now, go practice. The sooner you can master your powers, the sooner you can come with me to Assiah." He laughed as the boy's eyes lit up, and he scampered out of the room, small quakes echoing in his wake. Mephistopheles listened to the soft rumbling of the quakes, watching the walls tremble and crack slightly; repairs were going to be in order by the end of the day, he could already tell. He sighed, sitting on the bed for a moment. He was back to his dilemma.

For months now, Mephistopheles had been contemplating. He missed Assiah. The times he had been there for business had been rather enjoyable; so much so, he had even watched over a school. It was a charter school, and even had a cram school…for exorcists. In retrospect, it was an odd thing for him to be enforcing, but he also knew that eventually…it would be his father's downfall. It was a little backwards, he reasoned, but he didn't regret the idea.

After a long moment, he stood up, pacing over to his desktop and writing a note in his blood.

_Amaimon,_

_I'm going to Assiah. I have things I need to take care of. I'll be back when I can, though I don't know how long that will be. You take care of yourself. Learn your powers, so that I may come and get you one day. I will miss you. _

_Mephistopheles_

He read the note over a few times, before deciding it was well enough. Drawing it out wouldn't make things any easier; he already knew Amaimon wouldn't be happy knowing he left without a goodbye. Even so, he had a choice to make; he couldn't go back and forth between Gehenna and Assiah anymore. His heart was in Assiah; he loved the place, and how lively it was. Maybe he would try to attend his own school, just for funsies.

* * *

><p>Mephisto stepped onto campus early, in the uniform he had coveted for quite some time. He was careful to hide away his tail in his uniform; he hoped no one would notice his teeth or ears, though he was certain he could explain them away no problem. He glanced up at the building, swallowing hard; he was getting nervous. Why though? There was no way he would be found out. No, he was much too clever for that.<p>

Slowly, adjusting his tie, he made his way up the stairs as fast as he could, bag in hand with notebooks and things. He didn't _need_ the schooling, but he was genuinely interested. Humans were so intriguing…

He was so busy thinking about what he could learn, he ran into a small crowd of students. One of the students stumbled forward, just as Mephisto bounced back in shock. "A-ah! I do apologize! I must not have been paying attention…!"

The young man turned slightly once he regained his footing, blinking curious red-brown eyes at him. Two larger students stepped up, crossing their arms. "Watch where you're going, faggot!" one of them blurted, glowering at Mephisto.

He blinked furiously a few times. "Pardon?" He knew the insult, but this was the first time he could admit to being called it, though why was uncertain. "It was an accident, and I'm trying to apologize-"

"We don't like your kind around here," the other student growled, shoving Mephisto's shoulder once. "You might want to watch yourself."

Mephisto scowled. _His_ kind? They certainly didn't mean demons, seeing as he hadn't given any clues to such. He opened his mouth to retaliate, when the young man he had bumped into laughed a bit and moved the larger boys out of the way. "I'm fine, I'm fine! It was an accident, and I'm sure he meant no harm by it!" He flashed a grin to Mephisto, and the demon could have sworn he felt his face heat up.

The young man was tall, blond, and needless to say, quite attractive. He had a bright smile that made Mephisto go quiet, and he seemed to be quite understanding. After a moment, the young man looked Mephisto over. "You must be new to the campus. I'm Fujimoto Shirou, a Junior." he held his hand out to Mephisto, showing no fear.

Slowly, he took the boy' hand. He hesitated for a moment, thinking of a name. "…Johann Faust V…" he slowly replied, taking Shirou's hand with a soft smile. They shook, as Shirou made a small noise of interest. "What?"

"Your name. It's foreign; German, I think." Mephisto stood there, stunned. He hadn't expected a Japanese student to recognize the origins of the name. He then realized he had to be careful, as his Fujimoto Shirou would notice things a lot quicker than most others. "Well, regardless, welcome to True Cross Academy!" Shirou grinned brightly. "Do you need help with anything? I could give you a tour if you'd like!"

"…I would very much appreciate that," Mephisto admitted. Maybe he would be able to learn more about the exorcist cram school, if Shirou knew about it. And besides, maybe this way he could also figure out what the other student's problems with him was. "If you wouldn't mind…"

"Not at all!" the blond waved off his classmates. "I'll meet up with you guys later. Let sensei know I'm showing a transfer around!" The two muscle heads from earlier didn't look pleased, but ushered the others to class, while Shirou turned back to the demon. "Well! Shall we then?" At Mephisto's curt nod, he gestured down the hall. "This is the main hall, as you probably guessed. From here, you can take the stairs to different classes. Freshmen and Sophmores are generally on floors one and two. Juniors and Seniors stay mostly to floors three and four, unless they have study hall, which is on floor two of the library." He gestured Mephisto to follow him, leading him down the hall. "The hallway to the left is the Freshman math and science classes. The right is the same, but for sophmores. Up here is the staircase for the second floor, and that door next to it is the library." Shirou hardly seemed to pause as he made his way up the stairs, Mephisto at his heels. "If you have bad cardio, a few weeks at this school and it will improve by twenty percent. The Elevators are designated only to students with injuries to their feet or legs and require a special key." he paused at the top of the staircase, waiting for Mephisto to catch up. Once the demon had caught up, he gestured all the way down the hall. "Down there is the library again, and that is where study hall is. It's always on the second floor of the library. But if you forget, the staff are usually very helpful. The second floor is generally reserved, again, for the freshman and sophmores, but more for their Reading and such." he stopped and turned to Mephisto. "What year are you? You look to be a junior or senior."

Finally, a break! Mephisto nodded. "Junior," he told Shirou. "I'm taking reading first."

"what luck!" Shirou yelled, raising his arms in the air in celebration. "We're most likely in the same class then! Though, there ARE four separate reading classes. Which room?"

"Uhm…" He glanced at the paper in his hand of the schedule he had set up. "…C-4." he was startled at an excited whoop. "P-pardon?"

"That's my class!" Shirou replied, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll help you out, though I'm sure you're bright enough to not need it. C'mon!" he grabbed Mephisto by the wrist, dragging him up the staircase to the third floor, then down the west hall. "We won't be able to talk much during class, but if you have questions, ask at lunch, okay?"

"J-ja." he regained his balance as Shirou came to a stop in front of the classroom. Mephisto could here talking on the other side as Shirou opened the door a crack. He then gestured Mephisto in after him.

A portly woman stood in the front of the room, and she paused as the two came in. She sniffed. "Fujimoto, you are late. And who is this?"

Shirou bowed. "My apologies," he told her. "I was giving a tour to a transfer student from Germany." He gestured to Mephisto. "This is Johann Faust V, he just transferred and I was helping him out."

The woman eyed them both curiously. "Very well. Take your seat, Fujimoto. Faust, you will sit in this desk here," she told him, pointing to a desk in the front. "I want to keep an eye on you."

"Y…yes ma'am…" he muttered, taking the seat she referred him to. It was most likely a harmless request, but the way she said it made him a little nervous. Luckily, he could fake it at first day jitters.

"Now," the teacher began. "before we were interrupted, I was discussing the difference in grammar based on dialect…"

* * *

><p>"Johann! Hey Johann!" Mephisto blinked rapidly, sudden;y remembering the name he had used when he introduced himself. He looked up from his lunch of instant Ramen, to see Shirou smiling down at him. "Whatcha doin' all by yourself over here? Come sit with us!" He gestured to a table behind him; Mephisto looked over and tried not to feel awkward at the glares aimed his way.<p>

"I'm fairly certain I'm not welcome," he replied, smiling softly. "But thank you for the invitation."

Shirou looked back and noticed the dirty looks. "Huh. Guess not. Oh well!" Without a second thought, he sat next to Mephisto, startling him. "I'll just sit here then!" He smiled at Mephisto. "No one should have to be alone, not in a big campus like this."

"I…I don't…" Mephisto glanced up at the table, which seemed to have a dark cloud of anger over it. "I'm…fairly certain your friends don't like that…"

The blond waved his hand casually. "They'll get over it. Just because I'm friends with them doesn't mean I can't be friends with anyone else." He grinned, before biting ferociously into his sandwich.

Mephisto watched him curiously for a moment, before starting to eat his ramen. He then paused. Now was the time to ask about the cram school. "…Shirou," he muttered through a bite of Ramen; the teen looked at him, cheeks stuffed with sandwich. "I've heard rumors of a cram school here. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

It was Shirou's turn to pause. He glanced around hurriedly, swallowing his sandwich hard. "…So you know about it, too? You know where it is?"

"No."

He looked around again. "…meet me in the main hall after Arithmetic. I'll take you there." He smiled softly. "Glad to see you're one of us."

With that, Shirou got up and left Mephisto there to think. "One of us," he had said. The Demon tried not to snort. Obviously, the teen had no idea what he was, or else he would never have uttered those words. Never the less, Mephisto was intrigued. As he finished his lunch, he reasoned that maybe, just maybe, this whole idea of joining the school in Assiah wasn't turning into a bad plan after all.


	3. Chapter 3

_First thing's first: I am exceedingly sorry for this taking so long. To be honest, I fell out of the fandom for a little while due to a falling out between myself and the person who got me into the fandom. But, after catching up with the anime and watching some Mephi/Shirou AMVs, I'm back. I also want to take this time to reply to some anonomous reviews._

_Miss S. Grechy: I'm glad you liked it. I decided to put them in school together for the meer fact that they have such a close bond, as it evident. As for the faggot comment, yes, it was his hair, and you KNOW he has girly little charms on his bag._

_Anon: Gah, I'm so flattered by you liking my writing style. I think I'm horrible. As for Shirou's hair, to me it fit. When you look at him, his hair is light. There is no peppering in the color to make it dark. As for the hostility, you have to think of time periods and Mephisto's appearance. This would probably be about...the seventies maybe? And with a look like Mephisto's, things could get...iffy._

_ONTO THE STORY._

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><p>Mephisto was a rather patient individual. In fact, after arithmetic was over, he spent some time in the main hall reading. Shirou didn't show up for a while, and Mephisto couldn't help but think nothing of it. After all, the teen had friends to deal with; he was merely an acquaintance. He sat on the staircase, reading quietly as hundreds of students passed him by. With his keen sense of hearing, he could pick out a few conversations between students; most notable was conversations between girls, commenting on "The new foreign boy." Each time, he would glance up from his book towards the groups, sending the girls into peals of giggles and shrieks. Ah, humans, how simple they were…<p>

It wasn't until the hall had cleared that Mephisto considered the option that he had been stood up. It was a childish thought, but he started to consider it. He closed his book with a sigh, only to stop as he heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairwell. He stood and glanced up the stairwell, just as Shirou came around the corner, bag in his left hand and panting as he rushed down to Mephisto's side. "I…am so sorry," he panted out, still smiling. "I was getting some help with the homework for class. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long?"

The demon stared at him for a long moment. _Yes, in fact you did,_ he thought._ I was about to leave, and decide not to trust you again. I was prepared to call you a disrespectful ass for keeping me waiting for so long, when you could have come and told me you had to take care of something. I wonder what you would have done if I wasn't here when you arrived. Would you have cared?_ "….no. Not at all," he lied. For a moment, he wondered why he was lying. Then again, his whole existence here was a giant lie, so why would he stop now. He cleared his throat softly. "Well…shall we…? We'll be late, won't we?"

"Ah!" Shirou looked at his watch, before making an odd sound. "Shit! We are! C'mon!" For the second time that day, Mephisto found himself being dragged by a human. Shirou took him to a door, pulling out a strange looking key and shoving it in the lock. "I'll explain the key later," he said, shoving the door open and revealing a hall Mephisto knew hadn't been there before. He opened his mouth to say something, only to be pulled once more, down the hall and to the left, Shirou bursting into the room. "I'm here, I swear to god! Do not mark me absent!"

A girl in the corner laughed. "Calm down, Shirou. No one is here but you, me, Honda and Ling!"

"Oh thank god," Shirou muttered, relived. "I wasn't looking forward to another lecture about punctuality." He smiled at Mephisto, motioning him inside and beside him. "Hey guys, I want you to meet a friend!"

The girl's eyes widened. "Shirou, you know you're not supposed to bring just ANYONE here!"

Shirou waved her off, shushing her. "He's not just anyone, Saki! He's one of us!" Once again, Mephisto had to stop himself at laughing at the phrase. The girl stood, looking at the demon curiously. "Saki, this is Johann Faust V, a new transfer student from Germany. He actually knew about the cram school, so I decided to bring him.

The girl smiled brightly, clapping her hands; her curly brown hair bounced slightly when she clapped. "Then welcome, Johann! My name is Nakara Saki, Sophomore." She turned and pointed to a gentleman in the back. "Over there is Honda Romi." The boy made a vague wave before going back to his book. She then turned to another girl, whose hair was cropped short. She was looking at Mephisto, like she was analyzing him. "That's Ling Xian. Xian is from the deep, remote parts of China. She's really talented for a Freshman." Then she smiled. "But no one is nearly as talented as Shirou!"

Shirou let out a laugh, his cheeks tinged pink as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm pretty good huh?"

"Nakara, you really shouldn't stroke his ego more than it already has been. It could distract him from his duties as an esquire." All of the students, including Mephisto, jumped, the demon bumping into Shirou as he spun around to face the speaker. He hadn't even heard someone come up behind him!

A stern looking woman was standing in the doorway; brown hair was pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head, and her body was covered in a thick, black coat; exorcist coat. Out of instinct, Mephisto swallowed hard, but he watched the woman intently as she crossed the room to the chalk board.

"Good evening, Sensei," the other four students chorused, finally relaxing as the woman started to write on the board. She didn't reply, until she spun sharply, pointing at Shirou with her piece of chalk. "Fujimoto. What have I told you about bringing your friends to class?"

"Ah, right, but sensei," he placed a hand on Mephisto's back, between his shoulder blades. "Johann here is one of us. He knew about the cram school."

Mephisto stiffened as the woman stared him down. He didn't blink. "Have you recieved your Spirit Wound yet?" She asked.

He blinked. "Uhm...pardon?"

"The spirit wound is," Shirou began, "a wound or illness caused by a demon. If you have it, you can see demons. Especially the little ones like the Coal Tar. Though those are generally harmless."

Oh. Suddenly everything made sence. "Oh, yes. I see them." He cleared his throat, making up a story off the top of his head. "My mother was possessed when I was young and ended up slashing my back. It's something I'm very self concious over." Saki made a sympathetic noise from her seat. "It was long ago, I hardly remember."

The professor nodded just slightly, jotting something down in her notebook. "Well, that's one less thing I have to worry about with you. I normally don't take students this late in the year, but seeing as you're a transfer, I will make an exception." She pointed at him. "On one condition. I will give you a test you will take today after class is over. If you pass, you go on a mission with us. If you show excellent team playing, I will make you an Esquire with the others. You are the exception, and I am bending over backwards for you."

"Yes ma'am, I understand. And I greatly appreciate it," he told her, bowing slightly and gushing as much as he could. He noticed Shirou give him a thumbs up from his seat, causing him to roll his eyes good naturedly, before sitting next to him. This was going to get interesting.

* * *

><p>As he had expected, being Satan's eldest son and all, he passed the test with flying colors; the professor made a comment about it being the highest score she had seen in a while.<p>

He was yawning, new key in hand, as he came out of the classroom.

"How did ya do?"

Mephisto blinked, slightly startled. Shirou was standing from where he had been sitting, stretching. "What are you still doing here?" he asked slowly. "Shouldn't you be in the dorms? Class ended an hour ago."

The blond shrugged off handledly. "Yeah, well...I had nothing better to do. Well, other than probably do homework or study, when would I start now?" He laughed, throwing an arm around Mephisto's shoulders. "Besides, I thought i could treat you to dinner, since you're new here!"

Mephisto stared for a long moment. He felt his cheeks getting hot, and he puffed them out a bit, exhaling sharply. Why was he blushing? This was silly; he was a demon, the son of Satan, affections didn't exist. "You probably shouldn't hang around me," he murmured, shifting the bag on his shoulder just slightly. "And to answer your question, I passed with a 100%."

Shirou let out a low whistle. "That's rare! You must be really smart. Or just study a lot." It...seemed that Shirou wasn't getting his message. The blond continued leading Mephisto out of the hall, arm around his shoulder. "So yeah, you wanna go to out or to the cafeteria? The caferteria has fantastic food. Even lobster!"

Mephisto gave a loud sigh, spinning away and out of Shirou's arm. "Do you ever listen? Honestly? Did you hear a single thing I just said? I just told you that you shouldn't hang around me."

The human turn to look at him, arms crossed over his chest. His brow was raised. "Yeah, I heard you. Do I look like I give a damn? Give me a good reason why I shouldn't be around you."

Mephisto froze, his mouth hanging open. His mind raced, trying to come up with an excuse without telling the truth. "Your friends," he blurted.

Shirou shrugged. "They can get over it. They don't control me, and I'm popular enough to get any new friends."

"You're reputation?"

He snorted. "I get my reputation from being kind and being talented, not to mention I'm hot."

The demon floundered a bit. "But...I..."

Shirou sighed, looking at the ceiling. "Look. Listen to me. If you're just trying to find a way to say you don't want to be friends, just say it, okay? I'm not going to break down and cry, I'm not going to resent you-"

"No, no, that's not it!" Why was he getting so worked up about this? Mephisto rubbed at his temples. "There's...there's things about me you can't know."

"So...just because of that, you won't go to dinner? You won't just chill."

Mephisto was silent. Nothing he had said made sence; Shirou's logic made more sence. Maybe he was taking this a little far. Maybe this was okay. He gave a nearly silent sigh. "Alright. Alright. You're right." He rubbed the back of his head. "Let's just...go to the cafeteria."

* * *

><p>Laying on the bed, Mephisto stared at the ceiling of the dorm he had to himself, his fingers tracing the edges of a small mirror. Dinner hadn't been bad. In fact, it had been rather fun, ending up in a small food fight between them and the table next to them. It...was refreshing.<p>

The shower he had taken after had given him time to think. and he was...he missed his little brothers. He missed the mayhem. And yet, he was happy. He had made a friend in the first day. Someone whom, he hoped, wouldn't care what he was. But it wasn't time to tell. He doubted it ever would be.

The mirror in his hands dinged softly, a glowing ripple seeming to skate across the reflective surface. Green eyes blinked at it, and he sat up, grazing his finger on it, a second, deeper ding coming in reply. The mirror rippled again, and the reflective surface changing, showing a small Amaimon peering back at him. "MEPHI!"

Mephisto smiled softly. "Hello Amaimon." He had known that his brother would want to contact him. "Are you alright?"

The small demon puffed up his face. "I can't believe you left me without warning! I was so sad! I cried!"

"I know, I'm sorry..." He traced the little demon's face. "But I knew you would argue, and I couldn't handle that."

Amaimon gave a huff, and pouted. "Well, I guess it's okay. I mean, you didn't WANT to hurt me, right?"

"No, love, never." He chuckled. "If I ever make you feel that way, just say so."

"Bring me a souvener, okay!"

"Always."


	4. Chapter 4

Days turned into weeks, and it almost turned into a ritual. Mephisto would wake up, get ready, meet Shirou in the hall. They would talk for an hour, before heading to reading with him; they had ended up sitting next to each other most days, if not working together in group projects. They would part for their other classes, have lunch together, finish classes, and meet up for the cram school. Then it was dinner, seperating, and before he went to bed, Mephisto would always contact Amaimon through his little mirror. But, even though it had almost become ritualistic, Mephisto wasn't phased. He hadn't gotten bored. Which, even he had to admit, was strange.

He was closing in on the month mark. And he knew that this could be the beginning of something wonderful, or the end of him. It was all dependant on the mission that he knew they were going to head out on tonight. He sat on the stairwell, waiting for Shirou to show up before heading to the class.

Yes, Mephisto was a little nervous. What if something went wrong? That he had to leave? That they would end up hunting him? Not that he couldn't defend himself if need be, but...he didn't think he could raise a hand to Shirou. He gnawed on his thumb nail, a habit he had, oddly enough, picked up from watching Amaimon. Though for Mephisto, it had become a nervous tic.

"Johann!" Mephisto glanced over at his shoulder, just as Shirou came down the stairs. Once again, the human was all smiles. Mephisto wondered breifly if he ever had a negative moment, but the thought was disruppted as he was pulled in a headlock. "You're always waiting for me! You must have the patience of a saint, I swear!" The demon burst out laughing at that comment; Shirou hardly noticed, grinning from ear to ear. "C'mon," he said, releasing Mephisto. "We're gonna be late."

"Oh, of course," the other replied, straightening and placing a hand over his breast, looking offended. "After all, we both know it's my fault that you laze about after Arithmetic!" Before Shirou could argue, Mephisto scampred off the remaining steps, half flouncing to the nearest door, Shirou on his heels.

Luckily, there were only the other students in when they stepped inside. Saki and Ling were chatting animatedly about how excited they were for the assignment. Romi was, once again, sitting in his usual corner, obsorbed in a book; looked like it was "The Vampire Lestat" this time. The two moved to their seats, Shirou sitting on top of the desk as Mephisto sat politely in his chair, looking up at him. "Do you ever sit correctly?"

"Only when sensei is in the room," he replied, before falling off the desk with a yelp, causing Mephisto to stand in alarm, eyes slightly wide.

"And this, class, is why we don't act like arrogant assholes."

"Yes sensei!"

Shirou got up and sat in the chair beside the demon, rubbing the back of his head with a grimace. Mephisto clicked his tongue in disapproval, before turning his attention back to the front of the room.

"As the five of you know, you have an assignment. This will go into the weekend." The woman shuffled some papers on her desk. "However, my original plan was to split you into groups of two. With the addition of Johann, I have had to make some adjustments, because I refuse to let any of my students to go solo on this." A tense ripple went across the room.

"Is it really that bad?" Saki asked, raising her hand just slightly. She looked terrified.

"If you're alone, or cannot co-operate with your partner, then it can be deadly. You are only esquires. You don't have the abilities as of yet to protect yourselves to this level."

"Then why are you doing this?" Everyone turned and looked at Romi. He rarely ever spoke; in the last month, Mephisto had only ever heard him speak three times. "If the situation is so deadly, why risk it?"

All heads turned back to the teacher. "Because. You need to work together. My couplings are based on skill, and whom would be the best defense." She looked at the students, each in turn. "Ling, you are training to be an Aria, correct?" At her nod, she pointed to Romi. "And you, a tamer, correct?" He nodded as well. "You two are partners." They looked nervously at each other, before Romi walked over to where Ling stood. The professor then looked at the other three. "Saki, Shirou, Johann: you three are together. Get to know each others goals right now while I prepare the sheets."

Saki walked over to the boys, shifting uncomfortably. She sat in a chair by their table. "So...uhm...I'm training to be a Doctor..."

Mephisto watched her for a long moment, before reaching across the table and taking her hand. "It'll be alright. There's three of us, we'll be unstoppable."

She nodded, fighting a smile, before looking at Shirou. "What are going to be this time?"

The blond grinned. "I'm training to be everything!" He laughed. "But this time, I think I'm going to go with Dragoon. Sounds like fun. Plus, I wanna try and make a head shot."

Mephisto rolled his eyes, snorting at the arrogance. "Oh yes, because we all know you can do it all on your own. How about Saki and I climb in a tree and watch you fail?" At Shirou's nervous laugh, he smiled. "I wouldn't do that to you, unless you really pissed me off."

Saki giggled. "What about you Johann? What do you aspire to be?"

Mephisto was quiet for a long time, thinking over the different meisters and thier specialties. Something that wouldn't put him at risk... Then it occured to him that he would be a natural. "Tamer," he replied. Shirou and Saki were staring at him, and he blinked. "...what?"

"Do you know how rare tamers are?" Saki murmured, glancing at Shirou.

"You have to have a lot of confidance and talent to be a tamer," Shirou added.

Mephisto looked between them. "...and? I do. I have the talent and confidence."

Shirou raised a brow, crossing his arms. "Prove it?"

The demon rolled his eyes, drawing a summoning circle on a sheet of paper. Being satan's son, he didn't really need it, but if he was to continue this sherade, he had to make it beleiveable. He bit his thumb, piercing it, and spread the blood over the circle. He didn't even say a word, and four different demons showed up. One was a goblin, another was a Naga, and the other two were salamanders. _Thank you, father,_ he thought sarcastically. Shirou and Saki were staring wide eyed. "As long as I don't tell them to, they won't hurt you," he said casually, not really thinking about it as he picked up and pet the goblin in his lap. It gave an odd little gurgling sound.

"Faust, stop showing off," the professor called from across the room, not once looking at him. He shrugged and ripped the paper, banishing the four lesser demons.

Saki chirped animatedly at Mephisto, expressing her amazement. Shirou on the other hand...he didn't say anything, eyeing Mephisto carefully, like he was trying to figure something out. The demon didn't look at him. He should have been more careful; Shirou was going to figure him out at this rate, that much he knew.

* * *

><p>The two teams were dropped off on opposite sides of a mountain via helicopter. They were told to find a rather large Dökkálfr that had gone out of control and cut it, as it was causing some problems to some of the mountain villages. When they found it, the tamers were to send thier familiars to the other team, and the professor. In Mephisto's mind, the whole situation seemed overly simple. But, he would play along.<p>

By the time they had gotten into a decent clearing, it was growing dark. "Johann, why don't you summon your familiars again? Maybe one can accompany me to get some firewood?" Saki murmured, glancing around.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure." Mephisto nodded slightly, summoning them once more. The goblin hobbled after Saki, while the other three just kinda sat around, as though keeping watch.

Shirou walked over to Mephisto. He wasn't smiling. He looked confused, and a little angry. "What are you playing at?" Mephisto looked up from the bag he was digging through, trying to find the things for the tent they had been given. "How the fuck do you do this?" he asked, gesturing to the other three demons, who all stiffened defensively.

"Like any other tamer," he answered quietly, looking back to the bag.

"Bullshit." Mephisto froze. "You've never said a word during summoning. Besides, I saw that you didn't even make a circle this time." Well shit. "I don't know what it is about you, but when I figure it out..."

The demon was quiet for a long moment, before he threw the tent supplies at Shirou. "I told you not to hang around me," he said quietly, before standing. He looked to Shirou, the sunset's fading light catching his eyes. "I warned you, didn't I?" Before the blond could reply, Mephisto strolled into the forest, motioning the familiars to stay. He was going to be found out on this little excursion, he knew it. It was more than obvious now.

When he found himself out of sight of the camp, he sat on a rock, slumping with his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees. He didn't know why he felt the way he did right now, but all he DID know was that he felt like he had let Shirou down. He sighed heavily, a small pout on his lips. Why was this whole human relations thing turning into such a mess?

"Why. Young Master. What are you doing here?"

Mephisto glanced up just so, noting a large Chuchi in the tree above him. He huffed, standing. "Nothing of your concern."

"Studying the humans again, young master?" the minor demon asked, seeming to cock it's head to the side. "I do not know why you find them so interesting."

"I am undercover," he explained, adjusting the sports jacket he had around his shoulders. "I still have much to learn in regards to them, you know."

"Like emotions?"

Mephisto tensed and looked up at the Chuchi, eyes slightly wide. "Excuse you?" he said, hands on his hips. "What is it you are insinuating?"

There was a chatter from the lesser demon that could have been a laugh. "Young master Mephistopheles, I am around humans much more than you yourself. I have been here for quite some time, and I have seen many of the humans strange habits. And I can see in your eyes you are confused about something." It paused, and when Mephisto said nothing, it added, "You have feelings for the Shirou human."

"I do not," Mephisto countered, stomping his foot; in retrospect, it was a rather girly and childish action. "I am merely angry, because he is figuring me out far faster than I had hoped. He is quite intelligent despite the fact that he never seems to pay attention."

"You're complimenting him."

"I'm giving him credit where credit is due!" Mephisto's cheeks had turned pink. He crossed his arms, glaring up at the Chuchi. "Don't you have a forest to take care of? Instead of hounding me?"

"It is true," the demon admited, flapping it's wings once. "Then I will take my leave." It fluttered a bit, coming off the branch it had been weighing down. "And young master."

"What?"

"The emotion you're feeling? Humans call it love." The Chuchi flew off before Mephisto could strike him in retaliation, the chatter coming from the lesser demon as it flew away.

A low growl came from the demon's throat as he watched the Chuchi fly away. "Damn thing doesn't know what it's talking about..." he muttered, sitting back on his rock. "Demons don't...they don't fall in love. Especially not with humans!" That was what his father always told him. There was no love. There was possession, mating, and death. That was what they were taught. So why the hell did he feel so guilty over lying to him? For storming off? For...that look...

He stood up abruptly again, tugging at his hair. "There is nothing there!" he yelled. "It's an illusion!" He stopped, staring at the dirt on the ground. He kneeled down, hugging his knees to his chest. "...What is wrong with me...?" He fought with himself internally for a moment, feeling unwanted tears swelling in his eyes. He hadn't cried since he was Amaimon's size, and the emotions tugging at his heart were making it hard not to give in.

A small, sad sounding gurgle came up behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder. His little goblin was giving him a sad look, being waddling over to him and making the noise again. Blinking and letting a tear fall in frustration, he sat on the dirt, pulling the goblin into his lap and hugging it like one would a stuffed animal. The goblin patted his face sadly, trying to comfort him, even though it didn't really understand what was wrong. He appreciated the gesture, nuzzling back at him.

* * *

><p>By the time Mephisto wandered back to camp, the goblin in his arms, it was well passed dusk. Saki had already gone to bed, and Shirou was sitting next to a blazing fire, poking at it with a large stick. It was obvious he was keeping watch so the girl could sleep peacefully. Heaving a sigh, Mephisto came into the clearing, his goblin in his arms. The two teens were silent for a long moment, staring each other down, before Shirou made a non commital noise and leaned over and holding up a plate. At the demon's confused look, he said, "...Figured you'd be hungry when you decided to come back."<p>

He had to admit, he was kinda hungry. He hadn't noticed until he heard a loud grumble come from his stomach, startling the goblin into disappearing. He took a few uneasy steps toward the human, his instincts in panic mode. What if Shirou had figured it out? What if this was a trick? What if he was going to exorcise him then and there? He bid his fear back, sitting next to him and taking the plate, picking at it quietly.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Mephisto stared at the star speckled sky, while Shirou stared into the fire, as if thinking. Crickets chirped around them, along with the occasional frog croaking. If it weren't for the tension between them, Mephisto would have found the situation ironically romantic. But given circumstances...it was just awkward.

"-are you?"

Mephisto blinked, looking at Shirou, who was glancing at him. "Sorry?" He hadn't heard the blond speak, and felt a little silly.

"What are you?" he asked again. Before Mephisto could answer, he continued. "You're not human. I don't care your excuse, but I want to know what you are."

"How do you know I'm not human?" Mephisto asked, trying to look haughty.

Shirou gave him a deadpan look. "Seriously? Please tell me you're joking." When he said nothing, Shirou snorted. "Oh let me count the ways! You summon without a circle, your teeth are sharp enough to cut your flesh without even trying, your ears, the fact that you will never let anyone see you out of uniform, not to mention your BLATENTLY OBVIOUS unnatural hair!" The curl on the top of Mephisto's head gave an anxious twitch. "And that!"

Mephisto stayed quiet for a long moment, staring into the fire. "...you'll find out when necessary," he said quietly.

"And when will that be?" Shirou asked, his tone dropping. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Did my familiars attack you while I was gone?"

It was Shirou's turn to fall quiet. He too glanced into the fire. "...no...no they didn't..."

"That...That is how you know you can trust me," the demon said, standing and stretching. "Go ahead and get some rest. I'll keep watch tonight."

Shirou stared up at him, not moving for a long moment. "...I'll figure you out, Johann," he told him. "I swear it. I will find out what you are."

A small smile came to Mephisto's lips as Shirou walked away. "I hope so," he whispered. "I would hate to have to tell you."


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay-moving and lack of internet. However, here is Chapter 5, and Chapter 6 is almost done. Once again, thanks for reading, and reviews are MAJORLY loved!_

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

The next morning was, needless to say, awkward on one hand, but rather mild on the other. On one side, Mephisto had taken the opportunity early in the morning to gather supplies to make a rather nice breakfast for the two sleeping classmates. It was a pleasant surprise neither had been expecting, making the demon rather pleased with himself. On the flip side, Shirou spent all of breakfast staring at him, as if trying to dissect him. Again. From a distance. Mephisto figured he wouldn't be able to shake the others' suspicions of him, but hey, he tried.

"That was delicious," Saki told him cheerfully once the meal had finished. "I didn't know you were such a wonderful cook, Johann! You should teach me a few things sometime!"

He laughed jovially, waving his hand in dismissal. "Thank you, thank you, really." He winked. "There are many things you don't know about me, my dear!" His remark made her laugh, but Shirou scowled. It went ignored.

Slowly, Saki stood, yawning and stretching. The sun dappled her face through the trees above them. "It's so beautiful here…so hard to believe we're hunting a demon!" She smiled down at her classmates. "Well, should we get ready?"

"That would probably be best," Shirou muttered in reply, standing as well as he moved to the tent. "Let's tear this thing down and head on out. We gotta find this thing before it gets out of control."

Mephisto remained sitting, gathering the remains of breakfast. "I'll clean up if you two can tear down the tent." Saki saluted with a giggle, and half skipped to the tent; Shirou gave a non-committal grunt, following after her.

The cleanup was silent, save for the soft sounds of nature and the rustling of the tent. Before long, it looked like the earth had never been disturbed, no signs of their rest in sight. They headed northward. Saki spoke animatedly in a hushed voice, trying not to alert any nearby demons of their presence; Mephisto smiled and nodded, listening to her politely. Shirou, on the other hand, was alert and careful, looking for clues. Which made Mephisto inwardly laugh, seeing as countless demons surrounded them, watching with curiosity. Even so, it was quiet. But soon, it became slightly eerie as the vegetation seemed to come together, growing over the trees and shadowing out the sun, creating a sort of tunnel. Saki was quick to hold on to Shirou and Mephisto, clinging to their arms and gnawing at her lower lip. "What is this…?" she finally asked, glancing behind them as the tunnel entrance seemed to close.

"The dökkálfr really has taken control of this place," Shirou murmured, scowling and moving in front. "It must be up ahead, somewhere…." He shifted away from Saki's hold, pulling out his gun and cocking it slightly. Mephisto was quiet, patting Saki's hand in what he hoped was a soothing manner as he strained his ears for any inklings of the dökkálfr; Earth demons like this weren't his specialty.

Shirou paused, causing the others to halt as well. He held up a hand, glancing back and locking eyes with Mephisto; he motioned him forward. He moved next to Shirou, patting Saki's hand and shooshing her gently. "Do you sense it too?" Shirou asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mephisto was quiet for a long moment, but nodded slowly. "It's close. Watching. Waiting. We mustn't let our guard down…"

A high pitched scream hit their ears, causing the boys to turn sharply. Saki had been lifted from the ground by a large vine, which lifted her out of their reach. Shirou growled low in his throat, glaring at the greenery around him. "Can't play with the big boys, huh?" he shouted, startling Mephisto. "Gotta go for the girls? Are ya scared?"

"Shirou, stop, you'll only provoke it," Mephisto hissed, glaring.

"C'mon!" he continued, ignoring the other. "You wanna piece of me? Bring it on! I can take you on!"

Mephisto opened his mouth to scold him again, but faltered as the leaves and vines around them began to quiver. "Now you've done it," he whispered, watching and calculating. His thoughts were interrupted, however, as the vine that held Saki surged upward, tearing her through the greenery and out of sight. Her scream pierced the air, sending the boys back to back. Shirou raised his guns, jaw tightly clenched. Mephisto waited. "Whatever you do," he whispered, turning his head just slightly. "Don't. Fire. Shooting will only aggravate it and put her at risk."

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas, assbutt," Shirou hissed back, aiming at a particularly large vine.

"That was rather redundant, did you come up with that yourself?" Mephisto asked, looking rather annoyed.

"Shut up! Give me a reason not to shoot?"

Mephisto pointed at another vine. "this vine here is directly connected to the dökkálfr's body. As is the one you are aiming at. If you want to get Saki, aiming at the wrong vine can cause her to be strangled to death before we can do anything even remotely useful."

Shirou slowly lowered the gun, looking a bit embarrassed. "Point taken…" He took a few deep breaths. "Alright….alright, what are we going to do then?"

Mephisto didn't reply, looking around, paying close attention with his demon sight. If only he could figure out which vine was connected to Saki…He suddenly pointed to the left. "There." Shirou didn't even hesitate, firing at the spot the other had gestured to. As the pullet hit, there was a loud, guttural and inhuman scream. The teens stiffened, looking around quickly as the tunnel started to shake around them.

"….what did I just shoot…?"

"The base of the vine holding Saki. I thought it would break…"

The plants receded, letting the sun in, nearly blinding them, as the dökkálfr brought the unnatural growth back to itself. Even alone, the dökkálfr was larger than usual. It reached nearly ten feet tall, the vines holding an unconscious Saki close to it's core. "You dare to disturb me?" the dökkálfr screeched, using Saki as a sort of puppet. "You lowly humans! You have no distinction in what you have done!"

Shirou snarled, nodding to Saki's unconscious form; roots were already moving up her legs, inside, taking her life force. If she was to survive, they didn't have a lot of time. "Any ideas?" Shirou asked, leaning against Mephisto, who was watching and thinking of all the possibilities. "There's got to be something…"

Mephisto didn't get the chance to reply, a tendril of greenery whipping out at them. "SPLIT!" he yelled, darting to the left; Shirou moved right, the vine missing him by inches. The dökkálfr cackled, sending vines after each of them. _Think!_ Mephisto yelled at himself. _There has to be something! A…A weakness in its defense or something! _He tripped, doing a small back handspring back on his feet before the vine crashed down beside him. He whistled, his familiars springing up around him. The Salamanders dashed for the dökkálfr, the Naga moved after Shirou, while the goblin stayed at Mephisto's side, nomming on the vine that had been chasing him.

The Salamanders were hissing, biting at any part of the dökkálfr they could sink their teeth into. Shirou was firing off round after round, hitting every vine he could hit around Saki; Mephisto's naga was fighting off any vines that came after the human. Mephisto on the other hand was moving around the demon, trying for a back approach; Shirou and the Salamanders were causing enough of a distraction. He darted up a tall tree, turning just to see the naga banished with a sharp vine swipe, and Shirou grabbed and thrown into a rock. He didn't move.

In that moment, many things happened. Blood seeped from Shirou's head, Mephisto's mind went numb, and silence rung in his ears. _Get up,_ he pleaded. _C'mon. Move._ Nothing. It took all of a minute for a rage Mephisto hadn't felt in a few decades to surge through his body. His pupils reduced to slits, his eyes taking spokes of red in his irises. Blue flames started to spark around his hands and body; he jumped, screaming angrily. In his rage, he missed the dökkálfr, but rolled, crouching in front of Shirou's unresponsive body. "You…." he hissed. "You dare to touch him?" He stood slowly, as the dökkálfr seemed to lean back, taken aback. "You DARE to touch what is MINE?" He cackled loudly, his fangs visible and his back arched. "The amount of daring you have is outstanding!"

The dökkálfr's eyes seemed to widen. "No," it whispered. "No. You are…you are young master Mephistopheles? How did I…?"

"You have no time for explanations," Mephisto hissed. He cracked his fingers, a dark smirk crossing his face. "You chose the wrong human today!"

The dökkálfr released Saki from it's hold, her lifeless body falling to the forest floor. "Young master," it pleaded. "Please, have mercy…"

Mephisto laughed, making a thumbs down sign. "I'm the son of Satan. I show no mercy."

* * *

><p>When Shirou's eyes opened again, he was greeted with loud noises and a lot of pain. Pounding pain in his temple to be exact. He went to move, only to find he was strapped to a bed; for a minute he panicked, until he saw his teacher and fellow students out of the corner of his eye. Oh. So they were safe.<p>

"Finally decided to join us?" Mephisto was smiling faintly. He had a few bruises, and a nice set of stitches under his left eye, but no worse for wear. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," the human grunted in reply. "And my head is pounding. You sure I ain't dead?"

Mephisto laughed softly. "If you were you wouldn't be feeling any pain." He glanced up. "You're in a helicopter. We're heading back to campus."

"The dökkálfr?"

"Destroyed."

"And…Saki?" Shirou hesitated.

"…" Mephisto didn't say anything for a long time, looking at his lap as he folded and unfolded his hands. "I did the best I could," he finally murmured, lacing his fingers together. "I was too late." The two of them sat in silence for a long time. "…I'm sorry…."

Shirou slowly shook his head, closing his eyes and laying still. "…We could have done so much better…"

Mephisto glanced at him. "Are you blaming yourself?"

"A little. You were right. Shouldn't have provoked it."

The demon debated in saying something, but held his silence. "…We did the best we could." he placed a hand on Shirou's belted arm. "You can't blame yourself. We were in it together." Shirou nodded, but didn't look at him. They spent the remainder of the helicopter ride in silence, lamenting over their fallen classmate.

When the Helicopter landed, it was nearing sunset. Shirou was released from his restraints, and Mephisto lead him out of the helicopter with relative ease; the human was still a little unsteady from the wound to the head. Shirou stood on the helipad for a long moment, staring at the ground. Mephisto hesitated, before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Come to my dorm. No one should be alone after this ordeal…"

Shirou seemed to think, staring out over the horizon. "I don't know…"

"Trust me," he whispered, his hand trailing down his arm, until it came to rest at the blond's hand. Subconsciously, their hands clung together. "We can talk about anything you like."

"I don't really feel like talking, but okay…"

"That works too." Once they were given the okay, Mephisto led the human to his dorm room, not once letting go of his hand. Though really, Shirou didn't seem to mind, as he never pulled his hand away. They got into the building; there was an odd hush throughout the area, as if everyone already knew a student had passed. It was heartbreaking. They climbed to the second floor, then the third, and went down the hall. "I don't have a room mate," Mephisto told the human, unlocking the door. "so don't worry about anyone barging in." He opened the door, and gestured inside; Shirou walked in quietly, almost hesitantly.

The room was relatively organized; but then again, with only one person, it was bound to be. As was standard, there was a bed on either side of the room; one was made in the standard bedding, the other covered in bi-colored, reversible sheets of red and purple. The desk on one side was plain, the other was covered in a wide variety of things: books, a mirror, a few notebooks, a sketchbook and a cup full of pens and pencils. A small TV sat in the corner, an old VCR sitting on top of it. Beside the TV was a stack of VHS tapes. Overall….it was fairly simple, but rather welcoming.

Shirou slowly sat on what he assumed was Mephisto's bed, glancing around awkwardly. "So….you have this room to yourself…?"

Mephisto nodded, shutting the door quietly. "It's rather nice." He turned, facing the other and leaning against the door slightly. He looked a little sad. "…Are you alright…?"

Shirou shrugged slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll live. I think that's all that will really matter, yeah?" He forced a small laugh. "I'm just….a little confused…" He closed his eyes, laying back on the bed, tucking his hands underneath his head.

"Mn? About what?" The demon walked over; he was going to sit beside the human, but thought better of it and sat in the chair at his desk instead. "Anything I can answer?"

Shirou was silent for a long, long moment. "I thought I heard something I don't want to believe."

Mephisto cocked his head to the side just slightly, the curl on his head seeming to twitch with curiosity. "Oh?"

The blond sat up, his eyes locking with Mephisto's. "I thought I heard you talk with the dökkálfr. He…he called you young master Mephistopheles…" He frowned, glancing down as if trying to remember. "You…you said you were the son of satan…." He glanced up at Mephisto once more. "Tell me I'm wrong."

The demon didn't move. He didn't speak. His face had gone several shades paler than usual, his eyes wide; he was gnawing on his bottom lip anxiously. He had been so careless. He wanted to shake off the accusations, say that he had misheard and spit out yet another lie. But he didn't. He couldn't; he couldn't lie to him anymore. "I'm sorry," he whispered quietly. He stood and sat on the bed opposite of Shirou, giving enough distance between them in the off chance that Shirou decided to try and blast his head off. Shirou was silent, though he had leaned forward slightly, his elbows on his knees. The demon tried to think of some sort of explanation, but he didn't know what to stay.

"I have just a few questions," Shirou murmured, watching Mephisto carefully.

"Anything."

"Did you kill Saki?"

"No!" Mephisto stood quickly, defensively. "No! I would never hurt her! I tried to save her, Shirou, I really did!" he stopped as Shirou held up a hand.

"Then why are you here? Especially in an exorcist cram school?"

Mephisto opened his mouth to speak, but faltered. It was a good question, really, and difficult to answer. "…I like it here…"

"eh?"

He sat down slowly, thinking and staring at the hardwood floor. "…I like Earth…especially Japan. Gehenna has grown…dull…" He fiddled with his nails. "As for why here specifically…I watched the school be built….and the cram school…" he sighed. "…I want to find someone who can take down my father."

"You mean Satan?"

He nodded. "I mean, it sounds strange, I know, but…he's not the most supportive. He neglects one of my brothers and I can't stand it anymore. I just want to stay here in Assiah, safe and somewhat peaceful with my little brother." he gave a small laugh, glancing up. "It sounds so silly…"

Shirou was watching him carefully, his thumb running a bit of stubble on his chin. He let everything sink in, humming softly. "I don't know how much I believe….but…you did save my life…." He made a face, tapping his chin. "How old are you?"

Mephisto blinked rapidly. "Eh? Well, uhm…" he thought for a moment, glancing at the ceiling. "Let's see… coming up on…175 I think?"

Shirou let out a squawk, staring open mouthed at him. "For serious? God damn you're old!"

The demon pouted, causing the other to laugh. "Shut up! That's young for us!"

Shirou waved him off. "Whatever. Look, I don't know if I really trust you yet, but you're funny, so I'll give you a little slack."

"Just promise me you won't tell anyone," he whispered, half pleading. "Not many humans will react the way you do, and I don't want to be killed yet." Shirou didn't reply at first, but nodded in agreement, making Mephisto sigh in relief. "Thank you."

"What do I call you?"

He thought. "Well, in public, Faust or Johann. But…in private you can call me Mephisto." He shrugged. "Or whatever you'd like."

"Okay, assbutt."

"Not that!" Mephisto grabbed the pillow from the spare bed and chucked it at the human, causing him to laugh loudly. He smiled, nearly shrieking when the pillow was thrown back in retaliation.


	6. Chapter 6

Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge an unsigned review I received.

it's me: Hello, and thank you for your extremely long review! I love reading long ones, and it assures me I'm doing a good job. No, I have no abandoned this fic, and I have no intention to; horrible muses and lack of internet is the reason for my delays, I promise. You're right, the shirou Mephi fics are hard to find, and most are sad, so I'm glad I could create a refreshing story for you. Mmn, you are right about Mephisto's wounds; I hadn't thought it through. They would have most likely been gone by the next day. As for Shirou, I can come up with a few excuses as to why, but honestly, I would be lying. I choose not to focus on death as of yet; she was a minor character I created, and had no intention of focusing on it. Besides, there are people who shut themselves off from death; Shirou could be one. Haha, you have read my mind in regards to the room, however, that won't be for a few chapters. I stayed with the blue flames because of the fact that the blue flames signify the son of Satan. I considered making them purple, but realized it would be going against what the manga and anime have both established about Satan's sons. And don't worry, you haven't offended me at all. I'm way happy that you left such a long review; and you're English is fine, I understood everything. : ) I eagerly await further reviews! With love from America, Kaelbail

Now that I have addressed that…on to the 10 page long Chapter 6!

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Several months passed, and soon, snow had covered the grounds of True Cross Academy. Christmas was just around the corner, and the campus was abuzz about the coming break. Shirou and Mephisto, over the course of months, had learned to gain each other's trust, and hung out regularly. Shirou's old group of friends turned their backs on him, to which he shrugged and went to Mephisto's dorm. Movie nights happened with frequency for the two, occasionally ending with one sleeping on the other.

"I can't believe we have to stay here during Christmas break," Shirou complained loudly one afternoon, buttoning his thick black trench coat. "Everyone but the exorcists gets to see their families."

"Well, we are still in training," Mephisto replied quietly, wrapping a thick white scarf around his neck. He hated the cold, and this scarf was the only thing that kept him warm. "We have much still to do, after all."

Shirou frowned, but paused, looking at Mephisto. "Hey Me-Johann. Do you celebrate Christmas?"

Mephisto gave him an odd look. Of course he celebrated Christmas, what kind of question was that? Oh wait. Duh. He was a demon. "Well, yes, for commercial purposes." He stuck his tongue out as Shirou laughed. "Why do you ask?"

Shirou kind of shrugged, adjusting his coat before walking to the door to head to Mephisto's dorm building. "Just thought I'd ask. Don't wanna offend, ya know."

The demon laughed, following him out. Well, at least the snow had stopped falling for now. "Offend? Since when has anything stopped you?" He smiled. "But yes, I do." Their eyes locked as they walked. "What do you want for Christmas, Shirou?"

The blond shrugged, laughing. "I'm not expecting anything for Christmas, honestly. Just well wishes are enough for me." He laughed harder, seeing Mephisto pouting. "Why, did you want to get me something?"

"Is it that obvious? Yes, I do, I just don't know what…"

Shirou thought seriously for a minute, humming softly and looking over the snow covered campus. "Well….this is going to sound silly….but I kinda want a photo album and stuff like that." He laughed nervously. "I keep wondering how I'm going to make my legacy as an exorcist known to future generations."

"You want kids?" Mephisto asked, blinking.

"Maybe someday," he replied, shrugging. "But if not kids, maybe future exorcists. Maybe they can learn something, ya know?"

Mephisto nodded quietly, thinking. Shirou was rather sentimental, now that he thought about it. He always seemed to have a camera and film on him.

"what do you want?"

"eh?"

"Hey, if you plan on getting me something, I'm getting you something too."

Mephisto felt his face get red, though he could pass it off as being cold. "Well, uhm…old books or candy is good enough for me. I really like old things, antiques and the like….and cute things…."

"I've noticed," the human laughed, pointing at the charm covered bag at Mephisto's hip. "I'll see what I can do."

"Same."

It was quiet for a long time, until Shirou got bored. And when Shirou got bored, bad things happened. This time….it was shoving Mephisto face first into the snow. The demon hadn't been expecting it, his thoughts having been elsewhere, and before he could assess what had happened, he was face first in a large snow pack. Shirou stood back and laughed as the other scrambled up, sputtering snow and shaking his head. "You little fucker!" Mephisto yelled, grabbing as much snow as he could, throwing it at Shirou, who half laughed, half yelped.

And so a small snow war started; you couldn't call it a snow ball fight, as neither of them made any actual balls out of the snow in their hands. They mostly ended up kicking and throwing fistfuls of snow at each other. Their screams and laughter filled the deserted air around them, just as snow began to fall again in gentle drifts.

By the time they had stopped wrestling each other in the snow bank, the sky had already darkened significantly. Their clothes were completely soaked, and they were effectively shivering when they entered the dorm building. They half ran up the stairs, teeth chattering, laughing a bit as Mephisto tried to unlock his door with shaky hands; it took a little help from Shirou to get the key in the lock. But once it was open, they bolted in and shut the door, shedding off their wet clothes with as much speed as they could manage. Mephisto tossed a pair of warm, thick Pjs at Shirou, before grabbing some for himself and putting them on, turning on his small heater and diving into a thick blanket.

Shirou laughed shakily, grabbing a towel from the other bed; he assumed it was from Mephisto's shower that morning. "You're soaked to the bone," he muttered, placing the towel on the demon's head and gently attempting to dry his hair. "You're lips are even blue!"

"Sh-Shouldn't you be w-worrying about yours-s-self?" Mephisto managed to stutter out, shivering violently under the blanket, which he had wrapped around himself like a cocoon. He squeaked a bit at the rubbings.

"My lips aren't blue and I can make a coherent sentence," Shirou countered. "I should know better than to shove you face first into snow."

"Duh!" Mephisto was quiet for a long time. "…It was rather fun though," he admitted, smiling softly.

When Shirou was satisfied, he took the towel and dried his own hair. "I'm going to put a movie in, Meph. Anything you want to watch in particular?" The demon shook his head, and the human smiled. "My pick then." He walked to the small collection of VHS movies. After a bit of debating, he put one in, setting the TV up on a small perch they had set up one day, before returning to Mephisto, who was still shaking. "C'mere." He took the blanket, which made him whine slightly, before wrapping it around both of them, and pulling Mephisto against him. For a moment, Mephisto thought he stopped breathing. "Better?"

Mephisto had to admit, it was much warmer in the young man's arms. And so he settled there, nestled against Shirou's chest, watching the movie-Rudolf the red Nosed Reindeer-out of the corner of his eye. They remained quiet, Shirou's hand ghosting over Mephisto's back in a soothing manner. Mephisto drifted in and out of awareness, choosing to snooze in this comfortable warmth on occasion instead of actually watching the movie.

"….-o…Phisto…."

The demon jerked, blinking his eyes open a bit, looking confused. He glanced at the TV; the credits were rolling across the screen lazily. Blinking a bit more, he glanced slightly up at Shirou; he was smiling softly, laughing quietly. "Wha…?"

Shirou shifted, adjusting the blanket on their shoulders. "You fell asleep. Not that I minded." he nodded his head to the TV. "Want to shut it off and get some rest?" Mephisto glanced around a bit, before nodding, sniffling a bit as he crawled out of the blanket at shut off the TV. He was groggy, half stumbling as he laid down on the bed. Shirou laughed, turning off the lamp beside the bed and laying beside him, smiling as Mephisto seemed to curl around him. "Sleepy demon…" He reached up, subconsciously combing his fingers in the demon's hair. "If I didn't know better, I would say this was your plan all along…"

Mephisto snorted softly, a small smile on his lips. "Well, I certainly don't object…" he pulled the blanket up to his chin, burrowing a bit. "But no…not the original plan…"

Shirou was quiet for a long moment, his hand playing with the other's hair. "…Does gender matter to demons?"

Mephisto's eyes fluttered open just slightly, glancing up at Shirou's face. The moon lit up the human's face, making it easier to clearly read his expression; it was sincere, but confused. "…What do you mean?"

"I mean, in like…" Shirou's voice trailed off a bit. Words, what are they?

"…" Mephisto blushed slowly. "Meaning….in courtship…?"

"Well….Yeah…"

It was the demon's turn to be silent. He had never thought of such a thing before. He figured, when it came down to procreation, that gender would matter. But…what if he didn't want to procreate? Would it matter if he started a courtship with a male human? Maybe even mate with him? Mephisto wasn't really sure. "Honestly….I don't know…" He shifted, gnawing his cheek. "Personally…I don't think it matters…" His heart fluttered a bit in his chest. "Why do you ask…?"

"Well…" A small blush grazed the human's cheeks. "I mean…this is going to sound stupid, but ya know…and I just was wondering…if, ya know…"

"If what?"

"If you'd….ya know…consider a human like me…ya know…" He cleared his throat. "…boyfriend material…?"

There was a long, tense silence between them. "….are you coming on to me, Shirou…?" Mephisto finally asked, his tone flustered, but attempting to be cocky.

The blond laughed nervously. "Yeah…yeah, I guess I am…"

"Well….I do think you are boyfriend material…" Mephisto fidgeted, adjusting and playing with the collar of Shirou's pajama shirt. "You're smart, funny…can be quite the gentleman…not to mention you're quite attractive…Anyone would be stupid to deny you…."

"Is that a yes?"

"I suppose…"

Shirou laughed, letting his arm drop to Mephisto's waist, pulling their bodies together just slightly. "It's just a yes or no question…if you don't want to be my boyfriend say so."

"Oh, I do," Mephisto urged. "I just….know nothing about it."

"I'll teach you," he whispered, pressing their foreheads together gently. "It's not hard…You just have to trust me."

Mephisto nodded faintly, nuzzling slightly, his demonic, animalistic instincts kicking in. "I trust you, Shirou…More than anyone…"

"What a large burden to bare…" Shirou teased. "I'll be sure to keep that trust." His hand moved up, clasping Mephisto's gently. "I'll be gentle with you…"

* * *

><p>Days passed; the two kept their budding relationship quiet among the grounds, the extent of PDA being the occasional look or lingering touch. It was a wonderful experience for Mephisto, who had always been told demons don't love or have affections. And yet…his heart fluttered whenever Shirou so much as looked at him, and he took every opportunity he could to be held by the human. It was comforting, and more than once he forgot who he was.<p>

"Shirou?"

"Yeah?"

Mephisto was curled around Shirou lightly, one leg hooked over the human's hips in a smothering cuddle. It was the first day of Christmas break, and they were spending the morning on Mephisto's bed, cuddling and snuggling like woah. He shifted slightly, tucking his head onto Shirou's shoulder. "I changed my mind on what I want for Christmas…"

"Oh?" he laughed, kissing the demon's forehead. "And what would that be?"

"Nothing. I have what I want already."

Shirou snorted. "That was so cheesy it was cute," he said, nuzzling his nose against the other's cheek. "Well too bad, I've already got you something."

"Eh?" Mephisto sat up slightly, looking at the human with wide eyes. "That's not fair! I haven't gotten around to it yet! Oh fuck, Christmas is only in a few days isn't it?"

"Yeeeeeeup," Shirou grinned. He laughed as Mephisto started to struggle, wrapping his arms around the demon's waist. "Nope! Nope, you're staying right here!" He held tight as Mephisto yelped, trying to squirm out of the human's hold without breaking him; in the midst of it all, Mephisto's shirt rode up, baring his stomach. It was in that moment that Shirou was struck with a wonderful idea. A wonderful, horrible idea. With a mischievous grin, he took a deep breath, and blew as hard as he could on the demon's bare stomach, making a loud sound.

The shriek of laughter that came from Mephisto's mouth was even louder. He flailed and squirmed even more, one hand smacking at Shirou's arm, peals of laughter spilling from his lips. He writhed as Shirou did it again, causing another hysteric scream. "No!" He cried between giggles. "Shirou! N-no!" His back arched and his hips jerked as he tried to escape his classmate's assault. "Nonono!" He shrieked again as the human's hands went to work, assaulting his sides and stomach in unbearable tickles. Mephisto's feet kicked the air with reckless abandon, trying with all their power to break free.

"No mercy!" Shirou blurted out, before blowing against the edge of the demon's neck, causing another shout. "I will go until you piss yourself!"

"I d-don't want to p-p-piss myself!" Mephisto shouted, snorting with laughter afterwards. He was still kicking his legs slightly, though he had curled his knees, giving his kicks a rather childish look.

Shirou had to laugh, before taking the demon's weakness and pinning him to the bed, making it bounce when the demon struggled. Slowly, Mephisto's giggles faltered, as he gazed up at the human, who was grinning and watching him. "Piss yourself yet?"

Mephisto gave a small chuckle, but shook his head. He didn't fight, letting Shirou readjust his hold on Mephisto's wrists. He took the moment to take in Shirou's features; blond hair, those beautiful amber eyes…the stubble he had been neglecting to shave….

Shirou had a great view as well. Those bright green eyes were watching him so carefully, pale pink lips slightly parted in concentration. A goatee had started to form on Mephisto's chin; the poor demon couldn't decide if he wanted to trim the hair off or not. He glanced up as the purple curl of Mephisto's hair twitched slightly in anticipation. Neither of them moved for a long moment, just staring at each other.

"We should…probably get to class…" Mephisto finally murmured, glancing away.

"Right…Right…cram school…" Shirou hesitantly climbed off him; his heart was pounding in his chest a little. That had been a little unexpected. "We're probably going to be late.

Mephisto didn't look at him as he stood as well, adjusting his clothing and hair. His face was tinged pink. "We should hurry then."

* * *

><p>The air of the class was different from normal; for one thing, the room was decorated in various Christmas attire. The other classmates were laughing and talking, which was abnormal; even the professor didn't even look twice when Mephisto and Shirou came in ten minutes late. "Has the Christmas spirit swallowed everyone up?" Shirou asked, his arms extended in excitement as Romi threw a pack of cookies at him.<p>

Mephisto was glancing around the classroom; strings of popcorn covered the walls and ceiling. A small pine tree sat in the corner, decorated with lights and baubles. Each of the tables had food on them, which caused him to cock his head to the side in slight confusion. "Are we not having class today?" he asked quietly, mostly to himself.

"I decided to let you four have some fun for once," the professor murmured from behind him. She was smiling faintly. "I know some would love to go home, so I decided to make a small Christmas party for you four." She stood beside him, watching the others. She glanced down at him. "You look confused."

Did he? He was letting his mind wander from one thing to another. "I just…was expecting another hard evening in the class."

"As were the others. But seeing you all smile is more rewarding…"

Mephisto had to agree; the normally silent Romi was laughing and chatting, and the overly serious Xian was even smiling. Not to mention Shirou's smile, which seemed to glow. The demon smiled.

"Go," she told him, gently pushing his back. "Join them."

He didn't need telling twice. Mephisto joined Shirou, sitting on a table and chatting with Romi about family traditions. The four Esquires chatted animatedly over the soft tunes of Christmas songs, eating candy canes and various sweets. After a while, Romi started telling them about a game he used to play every year, the Jingle Bell Relay. He explained the rules, and the four decided to play. Needless to say, it was a success, causing the students to scream with peals of giggles as they randomly dropped tiny jingle bells as they ran through the halls.

And hour or so passed, and the professor decided it was time to let everyone go. She reminded them that normal classes would start the next day, before releasing them. Shirou and Mephisto were just about to exit, when Romi shouted, "Mistletoe!" The two blinked at each other, then looked up. And there it was; the small, parasitic plant was hanging from the classroom door frame. How had they missed it earlier…? "You two know the tradition," Romi said, grinning from ear to ear. "Anyone caught under the mistletoe has to kiss!"

The two stared at each other, wide eyes and bright blushes on their faces. They, admittedly, hadn't properly kissed before. So this…was unexpected. Mephisto didn't react, but slowly, Shirou cleared his throat. "Well. You heard them. We have to kiss."

"What? Now?"

"Yup." Shirou didn't give Mephisto a moment to argue, gently pressing their lips together.

It was a strange, yet remarkable sensation that coursed through his body then. He could only describe it as electricity; it sparked at his lips, and surged down his spine to his toes, and back up to his heart. For a moment, Mephisto stopped breathing. He even forgot that they weren't alone, that their professor and classmates were watching. Mephisto's eyes closed slowly, his hands wandering to Shirou's shoulders; Shirou's cupped at Mephisto's face. It was amazing.

Only when they parted for air did they crash to Earth, hearing the whoop from Romi, and the soft, "oh my god" from Xian. Their faces turned red and the released each other quickly. "I knew that would happen!" Romi cheered, walking passed them with a skip in his step. The two glanced at each other, giggling nervously, before walking hand in hand out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Was it good for you?"<p>

The two were sitting on Mephisto's bed, leaning on each other and lacing their fingers together. "You mean the kiss?" Mephisto verified, looking at the human slightly. "What kind of question is that?"

Shirou shrugged, his thumb ghosting over the top of Mephisto's hand. "A casual one. I can assume it was good, since you didn't push me away."

"It was pleasant."

"Can I have another than?" Mephisto blinked at him and he laughed. "Please, sir, can I have some more?" The quote caused Mephisto to snort, but he obliged, pressing their lips together again. Shirou pulled the demon against him, making Mephisto moan slightly. Their kiss was long, slow and deep; they kissed quickly several times, before mutually deciding to stop, staring each other in the eye. "I love you," Shirou whispered softly, his hand caressing Mephisto's cheek.

"…!" Mephisto stared, his mouth open just slightly. "…Pardon…?"

"I love you, Mephisto. I mean it." He smiled shakily. "My heart is freaking out and pounding. My body is all hot and I'm always so tongue-tied around you. If that's not love I don't know what is."

Mephisto was quiet for a long time. Did he return Shirou's love? He was still so uncertain. Could demons love…? Instead of speaking, he leaned forward and kissed him again. He couldn't say it yet, but he could show his affections in the meantime. Shirou seemed to accept that, as he didn't say anything, leaning into the kiss.


	7. Kael is a horrible Writer

To my dearest readers and followers of this story, as well as anyone new that comes along.

No. I am not abandoning this fic. I still have a lot to do with it.

Truth is, I work full time now. And I had half of chapter 7 written, and then the data was corrupted and lost. In addition, I am in a HUGE writers block. I'm currently working on another, less important fic to try and get my muse back, and I think it's working. I can promise you that I WILL get another chapter up. I WILL continue this story. I'm just so sorry it took so long.

With love

Kael


	8. very very sorry

I am well aware it has been over a year since the last update. I had work. I had some grief of losing a dear friend. I moved. I have been going through a lotof things in the last year. I am very very sorry. My computer is also down and I am typing this from my phone. I have chapter 7 in front of me right now and am writing it in a notebook as I type this. Thank you for your patience.


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